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Tuesday, June 13, 2017

The 'Special Bullet' came in three Royal Enfield flavors

You got a dual seat and shiny alloy fenders, but otherwise the "Special Bullet" offered by Royal Enfield back in the day was mostly all business.

This vintage Special Bullet brochure was recently posted on the TrialsCentral forum. You can view the complete brochure there.

The brochure offers the Special Bullet in three models, each in 350cc and 500cc versions. All came with a sporty, small-size gas tank.

The Scrambler looked like it meant off-road business..

The "Scrambler" sported a choice of gear ratios, and even a choice of engine compression from as low as 7.25:1 on the 500 to a startling high of 10.5:1 on the 350. Wheels were 21-inch in front and 19-inch in back, with security bolts and an engine bash plate was standard. Naturally the exhaust was upswept and high mounted.

The Short Circuit Racer didn't come with a kickstarter.

The "Short Circuit Racer" brought racing valve timing, lightened flywheels and an Amal racing carburetor. You didn't get a kickstarter with this one (racers "bump" started). Wheels were 19-inch front and rear, with Dunlop racing tires. Footrests, gear shift and brake lever were rear mounted. A straight through exhaust pipe was standard and you could order a tachometer.

The Trials Model included a tool box and registration plates.

The "Trials Model" dropped the dual seat but still gave you a pad on the rear fender. Low compression piston, heavier flywheels and special gearbox ratios fit the needs of the trials rider. Low gear on the 500 was 18.2:1, a real stump puller. Wheels were 21-inch front, 19-inch rear. Only the Trials Model gave you a side toolbox and side stand in addition to the center stand.

Substantial side spike came standard on the Trials Model.

All 500s came in "Copper Beech" and all 350s in "Silver Gray." Weight ranged from 305 pounds for the 350 Racer to 328 pounds for the 500 Trials. Ground clearance was 7 inches for the Scrambler and Trials, and 6 1/2 inches for the Racer. A wide variety of engine sprocket and countershaft sprocket combinations were available to suit any race track.

The brochure isn't dated, but the same illustration of the Trials Model appears in Roy Bacon's book Royal Enfield, The Postwar Models, identified as a 1954.

The Special Bullets were clearly meant to be race ready.

And so, of course, it almost goes without saying that the "Guarantee" on the back page expressly states that "no guarantee of any kind" is made on any machines used in "any competition."